ASHLAND – The majority of school districts in Ashland County plan to conduct learning remotely rather than make up days off for the remainder of the school year, following the latest snow days across school districts Friday.
Winter storms in Ohio have led to an uptick of snow days in the past several weeks.
Loudonville-Perrysville, Hillsdale, Black River and Ashland City Schools do not have any calamity days left. Crestview and Mapleton each have one calamity day remaining.
The number of calamity days school districts have are based on hours in school, not days. Schools schedule “excess” hours above the minimum number of required hours to accommodate cancellations. If a school falls below the minimum number of hours, it has to make them up.
Many districts set calamity days for the calendar year, based on anticipated excess hours needed. Calamity days are when school is canceled because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Not all calamity days are snow days, but most have been the result of snow days for Ashland County districts this year.
The number calamity days used in Ashland City Schools has differed by building. Its board of education set five calamity days for the 2021-22 school year. Kindergarten through eighth grade has used five calamity days, whereas the high school has had six days off as of Feb. 18.
“Once five calamity days are used, any additional calamity days will be made up beginning June 3,” supt. Douglas Marrah wrote to Ashland Source.
Hillsdale set five calamity days for the calendar year and used all five. Feb. 18 is a virtual learning day.
Loudonville-Perrysville designated four calamity days and used all four. Feb. 18 is a virtual learning day.
Black River Local Schools set five calamity days and, as of Friday, used all five.
In lieu of future calamity days, Hillsdale, Loudonville-Perrysville and Black River will switch to remote learning, their respective superintendents wrote to Ashland Source.
Mapleton Local Schools has used four of the five calamity days it set for the year. Feb. 18 is a virtual learning day.
“For our 6+ calamity day(s), we will have remote learning,” supt. Scott Smith wrote.
Crestview Local Schools has one calamity day left, after using four of the five it set for the school year.
Beyond the five calamity days provided, days six and seven will serve as professional development for staff. Staff will report no later than 9:30 a.m. except in the case of Level 2 or higher road emergencies, or at the discretion of the superintendent, supt. Jim Grubbs wrote.
If the district reaches eight calamity days or higher, it will make up days. Specifically, day eight will be made up on March 11, and days beyond eight will be made up during spring break — with day nine made up on April 11, day 10 made up April 12, day 11 made up on April 13, and day 12 made up April 14.
Additional days required to be made up will then be added to the end of the school year, beginning on May 27, Grubbs stated.
While many of Ashland County’s school districts plan to use remote learning in lieu of future days off, most of the districts in nearby Knox County do not plan to use virtual learning and will instead make up days during spring break or at the end of the school year.
This article was updated to correct that Feb. 18 was a virtual learning day for Mapleton Local Schools, not a calamity day.
